Car-coupling



(No Model.)

S. BYRNE.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Nov. 8, 1887.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

UNITED 1 STATES PATENT Fries.

SAMUEL BYRNE, OF BROWN S VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 372,893, dated November 8, 1887.

Application filed August 16, 1887. Serial No. 247,048. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL BYRNE, of Browns Valley, in the county'of Yuba and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a lull, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved car-coupling which is very simple and durable in construction and automatic in operation.

The invention consists of a coupling-pin provided with a hinged catch on which is pivoted an arm, which, with the catch, can be folded intoa recess in the pin.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a car provided with my improvement. Fig. 2is asectional side elevation of my improvement in position for coupling, and Fig. 3 is a like view of my improvement when coupled.

The car A is provided with the usual drawhead, B, inwhich is held, to slide vertically, the coupling-pin 0, adapted to.be coupled with the usual link,D. The coupling-pin G is provided on its upper end with a head, E, adapted tobe guided in the guide F, erected on the draw-head B or secured to the car A. The pin 0 is provided with a recess, G, in the lower part of which is pivoted the gravitycatch H, provided with the shoulder H, adapted to engage the top edge of the draw-head B, and on the lower free end of said gravity-catch H is pivoted the arm I, provided on its upper end with a shoulder, I, adapted to engage a projection, H, on the front part of the gravity-catch H, so as to prevent said arm I from swinging toward the rear, but permitting a forward swinging motion of said arm'I. The head E of the coupling-pin O is connected with a rope, J, which extends upward to the top of the car A and connects with ropes K, extending to the sides of the car, so that the coupling-pin G can be set in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 either from the top of the car or from either side.

. The operation is as follows: When the coupling-pin O is drawn upward into the position shown in Fig. 2, the gravity-catch H swings forward and its shoulder H engages the top edge of the draw-head B, whereby the coupling-pin O is suspended in a vertical position, as shown. The arm I extends downward on the inside of the draw-head B and its lower end reaches to within a short distance of the bottom of the draw-head. In coupling, when the link D passes into the draw-head B, the entering end of the link strikes against the pivoted arm I and moves the latter, with the catch H, toward the rear, thus disengaging the shoulder H from the top edge of the drawhead B, so that the coupling pin 0 drops down, and the entering link D, still being pushed farther into the draw-head, causes the arm I and the gravity-catch H to swing upward, while the pin 0 descends and couples with the link D, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The arm I and the catch H swing upward and into the recess G of the coupling-pin O, in which they are held until the pin 0 has passed into its lowest position, the head E resting on the top of the draw-head B, and the upper end of the recess G being below the bottom of the drawhead, as shown in Fig. 3. The gravity-catch and its arm I then swing downward into their former position. The pin 0 can then again be withdrawn for uncoupling and resetting, as shown and described. It will thus be seen that the coupling-pin C is easily set for coupling either from the top of the car or from the sides of the same, and that the coupling-link on entering the draw-head causes the pin 0 to slide downward automatically, thus completing the coupling. It will also be seen that my improvement is very simpleand durable in construction, automatic in operation, and not liable to get out of order.

Instead of the means shown and described for setting the cou pling-pin O, I may employ any means for accomplishing the same result. The forward swinging motion of the arm I permits the withdrawal of the coupling-link D whenever desired after the coupling-pin Ois raised into the position shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a recessed coupling'pin, ofagravity-catch pivoted on said coupling-pin and an arm pivoted on said gravity-catch and adapted to be folded with thelatter into the recess of the couplingpin, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling,'the combination, with a draw-head, of a couplingpin held to slide vertically in said draw-head, a gravity-catch pivoted on said couplingpin, and an arm pivoted on said gravity-catch and adapted to be folded with the latter into the recess of the coupling-pin, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a coupling-pin held to slide vertically in said draw-head, a gravity-catch pivoted on said couplingpin, an arm pivoted on said gravity-catch and adapted to be folded with the latter into the recess of the coupling pin, and means, substantially as described, for moving said coupling-pin up into the position ready for coupling, as set forth.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a recessed coupling-pin, of a gravity-catch pivoted on said coupling-pin and provided with a shoulder adapted to engage the top edge of the draw-head, an arm pivoted on the 

